Grangié’s job is to realise the visions of creatives like Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Chanel watchmaking creation studio, and Patrice Leguéreau, former director of the house’s jewellery creation studio
A veteran of brands such as Goyard, Fendi and Louis Vuitton, Grangié believes that creativity and innovation reign supreme at Chanel. The Parisian house is first and foremost a fashion brand, which means it doesn’t have a long-standing, jewellery-first heritage like traditional houses founded primarily as jewellers. This, however, can be an advantage and a way for the brand to write its own history.
“Our configuration is a bit different from some of the other houses with a much longer history,” explains Grangié. “What we are building today is a living patrimony for tomorrow.”
While Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel designed one high jewellery collection in her lifetime in 1932 – Bijoux de Diamants, a diamond range that introduced key motifs such as the comet – the modern era of Chanel’s high jewellery only dates back to the early 90s.
“I think there are no cons,” says Grangié about the maison’s relatively recent entry into haute joaillerie, as the French call it. “It’s in our DNA to bring new themes, new stories, new ideas on a constant basis. But at the same time, we are adding layers to these foundations. I think that today the foundations of high jewellery at Chanel are already quite strong, but we’re still in the process of adding layers.”
